Calif. man admits role in theft of iPad addresses

A California man has pleaded guilty to conspiring to hack into computer servers and steal email addresses and personal information from iPad users.

Daniel Spitler and another man were arrested in January and accused of tricking AT&T's website into divulging more than 100,000 email addresses, including those of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, film mogul Harvey Weinstein and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, then the White House chief of staff.

Spitler, of San Francisco, pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court in Newark to identity theft and conspiracy to gain unauthorized access to computers connected to the Internet. Each count carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. His sentencing is scheduled for September.

The second man, Andrew Auernheimer of Fayetteville, Ark., is free on bail and faces similar charges.